When a business owner approaches marketing companies, they often offer services in digital marketing first. Today’s businesses need more than online marketing, although that marketing aspect remains important. A 21st-century business requires print and online marketing, word of mouth, advertising, direct mail, and sampling events. Which of those techniques a business uses depends on the type of business and its target audience.

A digital marketing and branding firm may not offer the experience needed in direct mail, word of mouth, and experiential marketing needed by a company offering physical products, especially food or beauty products. Those two categories within manufacturing require sampling events, so customers can experience their taste or efficacy. If a business needs many types of marketing, hiring a full-service marketing agency provides the best results.

Service-oriented businesses, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) or public relations, benefit from digital marketing and sales. A product that a consumer needs to touch and feel benefits from a full-service agency that can provide all types of marketing collateral and events. Services, such as lawyers and doctors, don’t need experiential events that a bakery would. Determining which type of company you operate sets you up for success in choosing and working with your marketing agency.

Any successful business these days has an online presence. Whether a restaurant, a retail store, or a law firm, having a website is a must. Potential clientele will visit your website to find out what your hours are, your location, and your contact information. However, having a website is no longer enough.

2014 was the first year that more American’s used their smartphones and tablets to access the internet than they did their laptops or desktop PC’s. Much of that access was through the use of mobile apps. One out of every four online searches now take place on mobile devices.

If your business does not have an attractive website, a blog, a online review site presence, and a social media site, you run the risk of falling behind. If your competition has a mobile app and your business does not, the likelihood of a potential customer deciding to go with their business over yours is greatly increased. Convenience alone can drive a customers decision.

Varying the ways in which you reach clientele is also important. Some potential customers will prefer to use social media to look up your business while others will be attracted to a creative billboard or sign on the street. Using a wide array of marketing strategies helps you reach a larger audience.

Creating and maintaining new marketing ideas, campaigns, and online presences can be a daunting and time consuming task, especially if you are running a small business. This is where online marketing companies come into play. They can save you hours of time and effort in addition to coming up with creative strategies and ideas that can maximize your profits and leads.

Online marketing companies are commonplace among today’s business strategies. A recent survey by Forrester found that 62% of companies prefer to outsource a part of or the entire content marketing business module. Don’t let your competition leap over you by harnessing the power of this strategy before you do.

While searching for online marketing companies do your research. Any company you choose should be a one-stop shop for all things marketing-related and should save you time, headache and money. A good company will have, on staff, a team of mobile website builders ready to design creative mobile advertising services. They will have specialists in local online marketing and SEO consulting. Finding a creative team of passionate individuals ready to tailor their expertise into the right strategies for your business can make all the difference in sales and profits.